Chef Robotics has introduced a new “pat-down” capability designed to automate the flattening of ingredients in prepared meal trays prior to sealing. The company said the feature enables its robots to tamp down food inside trays, addressing a task that is typically performed manually on production lines.
According to the company, the capability is intended to improve tray presentation and sealing consistency while reducing spillage and food waste. In current operations, ingredients deposited into trays often settle unevenly, creating bulges that can interfere with sealing equipment and limit space for additional components. Manufacturers frequently rely on line workers to manually spread and flatten food, a repetitive activity associated with fatigue, injury risk, and labor expense.
The new system uses vibration technology built into the robot’s end effector combined with a flat, cross-slotted utensil. Chef Robotics said the utensil is interchangeable with existing depositing tools and is designed to meet food safety and cleaning requirements. The robots rely on computer vision software to detect and track trays on a conveyor belt in real time, allowing them to adjust to changes in tray position, conveyor speed, or temporary line stoppages.
For higher-volume production lines, the pat-down function can be used in conjunction with the company’s robot-to-robot coordination system. This allows multiple robots to alternate tasks across trays to increase throughput. In some configurations, one robot can handle ingredient deposition while another performs the pat-down operation.
Chef Robotics said the capability is already in use with some customers producing frozen meals, including items such as macaroni and cheese. The feature is available to food manufacturers in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom and is offered as part of the company’s robotics-as-a-service pricing model, which does not require an upfront capital investment.
